that this obsession with chris christie's weight -- i've rarely met a politician with more drive and energy than chris christie. he knows he's got a problem with the weight. i know he's trying to lose the weight because he's told me himself. why do we care so much about it? he's done an amazing job in the last few months. so much so he's the most popular politician in the country. >> well, i think it's me, own -- our obsession with weight. and just in our country with -- you're from london, uk. like our obsession with genetically processed foods and all that. i think america does have a weight obsession. separate of that i think chris christie is the future of the republican party and i couldn't embrace him more wholeheartedly. look at his performance during the hurricane. i love the way he is frank, straightforward, he says what he thinks. and he's just practical and pragmatic, and speaks with a lot of common sense. >> i mean, van, to me it's a bit of a non-issue, this. i just think he's a very popular guy. and even today i can imagine many americans watching his reaction going, good on yo